/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.17947764]

Found out I have a terminal illness. I don't intend this as a "poor me" post -- everybody suffers, everybody dies, I'm no exception. I've made my peace with it. Please recommend a few books that are extraordinary enough to warrant reading before I leave.

[Blarty Hongo !H0lVGXJNm6 No.17947771]

>>17947764

[Anonymous No.17947784]

>>17947764

Trial and Death of Socrates is short and worth your limited time. It's also directly related to death and dying. I think I may have colon cancer and I plan on reading as much Cioran as I can before checking out, either way.

[Anonymous No.17947818]

>>17947764
War and Peace. Not even meming. I'd hate to have lived and not read that book. Im afraid I'll never read anything to surpass or equal it.

[Anonymous No.17947968]

I assume you've read it already but I'd be pretty upset if I'd died not having read 100 Years of Solitude.

[Anonymous No.17947974]

Bible
Bhagavad Gita
Heart Sutra

[Anonymous No.17947986]

>>17947764
On the shortness of life, an essay by Seneca.

[Anonymous No.17948055]

The Bardo Thodol
All of the Vedas but if that's too long just the Rigveda will do (if you are genuinely superstitious do not read them)
Ethics - Spinoza
Impeachment of Man - Savitri Devi
The Secret Doctrine 1 and 2 - Helena Blavatsky (they're kind of long)
The book of Enoch and the dead sea scroll fragment translations
The Bhagavad Gita

[Anonymous No.17948056]

>>17947771
>Jewish sympathy porn

[Anonymous No.17948165]

>>17947764I'm sorry anon, there are never enough words to say. I myself went through cancer last year and had to seriously consider facing death at a young age. I don't mean to say I understand what it is like to be you, but perhaps that will give my recommendations weight. When I was unsure whether I would live another year, one of the things that I tried to be thankful for was that I could prepare for my death, and that I could be humbled and bettered by knowing that it was coming. I was relieved of my ego in a way. There were many people that I forgave and people that I apologized to. Others do not have the luxury of saying goodbye or righting a wrong before they die.

I also found Socrates Apology invigorating, as another anon has already recommended. It's not long but you can study it, like a great short story.

>Hugo's Les Miserables
I like to get lost in long books. I don't feel obligated to read the next chapter just because I finished one. I get to know the characters, the ideas of the author, I learn the book like a friend. And this book is hopeful yet intelligent. I hated empty-headed optimism, the only thing that appealed to me was a kind of restrained but earnest honesty. Hugo gave me that.
>Marcus Aurelius' Meditations
This was the first book I reread after my diagnosis. I was humbled by it, but also strengthened and given courage.
>The Four Gospels
I really like the beatitudes in Matthew. When I was very sick I read those words and tried to live out bravery and grace toward the staff who were helping me through my treatment (patients like me can often be rude in these situations, which I do not fault them for). I also was very comforted by the words of Christ in the book of John, chapter 16, "So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you."

Love to you, my friend, and I mean it sincerely. Perhaps it will not be so long before I follow you. May God have mercy on us both, on us all.

[Anonymous No.17948206]

The Consolation of Philosophy

[Anonymous No.17948395]

>>17947764
>Ikiru
Apropos film. Should still give yourself the best chance, keto, fasting, ect. got a blood cancer years back, free & clear

>Chromos, Alfau
Best opening of any novel in the 20th century, intredasting backstory to the author/its publication, desert island book

[Anonymous No.17948428]

>>17948395
>keto, fasting ect.
https://youtu.be/kKwH3U1wf5k

Black seed oil & feed]/spoiler] and C60 helped with radiation recovery; pickled ginger was good for nausea (should be getting Zofran anyways) — affects platelets, so don’t over do it

[Anonymous No.17948434]

>>17947764
I wish I had a recommendation for you. Just know that I'm praying for you, anon. May God grant you peace

[Anonymous No.17948439]

>>17948056
You didn't read it did you?

[Anonymous No.17948463]

>>17948395
>Ikiru
THE MOST BASED OF MOVIES ABOUT SICK AND DYING OLD PEOPLE

[Plotinus No.17948477]

>>17947764
>>17948165
Based these. Reading the Heart Sutra and Marcus Aurelius will be a good balance of mystical and practical. Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. Do not concern yourself with things out of your control.

[Anonymous No.17948485]

Thanks, everyone. Especially >>17948165 for your kind words. Best wishes to you all.

[Anonymous No.17948505]

[Anonymous No.17948598]

>>17947764
Why would you want to read a book when you're dying?

If you're just looking for excellent prose, people say Moby Dick by Melville is good, and I very much enjoyed 7 Pillars of Wisdom by TE Lawrence, but I would rather make peace with God than do any reading -- I wouldn't read the Bible from cover to cover either, just a few select words if I needed it.

[Anonymous No.17948611]

>>17948055
>(if you are genuinely superstitious do not read them
Not him, but why?

[Anonymous No.17948617]

>>17947771
Anon is asking for something worth his time, not holocaust sob stories.

[Anonymous No.17948698]

>>17948165
Excellent post.

>>17948477
I was going to recommend the Heart Sutra as well.
https://vajrasound.com/the-heart-sutra-2/
Also Wisdom at the Hour of Death
https://vajrasound.com/the-wisdom-at-the-hour-of-death/
These Norwegians do a great job of making Buddhist scripture accessible to westerners.


I also always recommend Ephesians to everyone.
Also the Psalms.

[Anonymous No.17948706]

>>17948611
If read incorrectly they curse you in your next life. To read them correctly takes from my memory which is a bit spotty 8 to 10 years each and requires the constant supervision of a brahmin.

[Anonymous No.17948737]

>>17947764
I'm very sorry, OP.
I would use whatever time you immerse yourself in poetry instead of wasting your time away on boring ass prose. I'd recommend Wallace Steven's Collected Works (the LOA is wonderful), as well as Frank O'Hara for some much needed lightness.
I wish you well, sincerely. Take care.

[Anonymous No.17948770]

I love you anon, I really do. I've been using 4chan for more than half my life, I'm 30. I present as a normalfag in regular life but I'm not. You are my best friends in the world. I really mean it. I've loved every moment I ever spent calling you a faggot for having the wrong opinion. Thank you for being anonymous.

[Anonymous No.17948791]

>>17948055
>(if you are genuinely superstitious do not read them)
What exactly do you mean by this? Believing in ghosts and that sort of thing?

[Anonymous No.17948801]

>>17947764
read the pali sutras
dhammatalks.org

[Anonymous No.17948810]

>>17948706
even read properly, the vedas and anything written by brahmins don't stop rebirth.

[Anonymous No.17948821]

>>17948791
>>17948810
I'm just repeating what the ancients said. It does not stop rebirth it curses you in some way. Some people are superstitious so I am just adding a warning for those people personally I think the Bardo Thodol is more important for someone who will soon die, I myself have read that entire list.

Please don't get annoyed at me.

[Anonymous No.17948839]

>>17948810
Brahmin's did not write the Vedas, they were transcribed.

[Anonymous No.17948842]

>>17948821
I'm not annoyed at you, I'm just curious what you (or they) meant by superstitious exactly. I have some thoughts about death which aren't exactly irrational (primarily continuity of consciousness, whatever else that entails I'm unsure). That said, I'm usually capable of reading between the lines in those texts and not latching on to whatever assertions they make about supposed afterlives. Any idea where and what translations of the Vedas to get?

[Anonymous No.17948859]

>>17948617
Sick do you have any more of these?

[Anonymous No.17948891]

>>17948165
Beautiful post

[Anonymous No.17948907]

>>17947764
i'd read degenerate some web novels desu like 'against the gods' or just something about harems and owning noobs
growth is good and all but just beeing urself is good too
you don't really enjoy something unless you take it for granted and waste a bit of it imo

[Anonymous No.17948909]

Montecristo by Dumas.
The red and the black by Stendhal.
Not related to your situation but I would still recommend these since they are my favorite books.

[Anonymous No.17948915]

>>17947818
Seconded. It's got it all, OP

[Anonymous No.17948941]

>>17948821
Boy, you're really convinced about that eastern stuff, are you?

[Anonymous No.17948950]

>>17948770
Every time I read this stupid comic I bawl my eyes out

[Anonymous No.17948978]

I'm so sorry OP. I don't have any recommendations but I really liked reading Nietzsche.

>>17948907
>you don't really enjoy something unless you take it for granted and waste a bit of it imo

Fuck, that might be true! I never thought of that, thank you.

[Anonymous No.17949602]

>>17947764
Silence. Endo Shokaku. The man knew about pain and hope.

[Anonymous No.17949689]

>>17947764
kill yourself

[Anonymous No.17949701]

>>17947764
To all the newfag children: this is a pathetic LARP.

This thread pops up in one way or another at least once a month. It's just a way of OP, the plebeian, to get more recommendations than a thread simply asking for them.

[Anonymous No.17949704]

>>17947764
This >>17947784 and pic related. I hope you will be okay anon, don't stop fighting.

[Anonymous No.17949718]

letters from a stoic, lucius annaeus seneca

[Anonymous No.17949723]

East of Eden or Grapes of Wrath (or both), Steinbeck's books are so full of love for his fellow man it's beautiful

[Anonymous No.17949734]

The Good Soldier Svejk can really have a different aura in times of sorrow, and it helped me through some tough times. I'll be praying for you anon.

[Anonymous No.17949803]

>>17947764
Saint Teresa of Avila really brough solace to me in my worst moments, the Interior Castle and the book of her life were literally life-changing for me.

[Anonymous No.17949812]

How long do you have? If you find time you should read the sea of fertility by Yukio Mishima and No longer human, the setting sun and Schoolgirl by Osamu Dazai

[Anonymous No.17949832]

First Alcibiades, Lysis, Gorgias, Phaedrus, Republic, Symposium, Book X of Laws, Crito, Phaedo.

[Anonymous No.17949858]

the ice palace by tarjei vesaas

[Anonymous No.17949860]

What is your terminal illness? Maybe I can get it (not even being funny or asking for sympathy). Spill it.

[Anonymous No.17949865]

>>17947764
Which illness?

[Anonymous No.17949913]

>>17949701
oh no, did I accidentally recommend someone a good book under false pretences?

[Anonymous No.17950666]

Terminal illness doesn't sound that bad considering death is the only thing that gives our life's meaning.

[Anonymous No.17950786]

>>17947764
>everybody suffers
Stopped reading there.

[Anonymous No.17950899]

>>17948056
>>17948617
Ok whatever you say

[Anonymous No.17951796]

>>17950666
Of course the 666 poster would say that

[Anonymous No.17951818]

>>17950666
checked and keked

[Anonymous No.17951856]

>>17947764
I am sorry to hear this, Anon whether or not it's a "poor me" post. There are a lot of great recs in this thread, I won't pretend I can add anything to it I just wanted to express condolence.

>>17948165
I'm glad you made it.

>>17949701
Anon's die everyday. LARP or not someone may need these recs.

[Anonymous No.17951865]

>>17948055
>if you are genuinely superstitious do not read them
Why

[Anonymous No.17951884]

>>17950899
Shoo

[Anonymous No.17951897]

>>17948165
What type of cancer? How old? I have cancer now; 5 years into pancreatic, if you can believe it
Wonderful post, glad you are here, anon

[Anonymous No.17951926]

>>17951897
I hope you get well, anon

[Anonymous No.17952053]

>>17951897
If you're who I think you are, great videos lately. Keep 'em up.

[Anonymous No.17952435]

>>17952053
Thank you, anon—that means more to me than you know.
Very kind.

[Anonymous No.17952461]

>>17949704

I'm not going to read some sex-having book after nearly 40 years of never having sex.

[Anonymous No.17952468]

>>17952435
may berry book???

[Anonymous No.17952500]

>>17947764
Alan Watts - The Supreme Identity
plain languages many of the most pertinent points in a lot of the faiths where spending your limited time buried in the longer and crunchier primary texts recommended so far.

[Anonymous No.17952512]

>>17948165
Fantastic post.

>>17947764
I wish you all the best anon

[Anonymous No.17952514]

>>17950666
An easy thing to say, and a much harder thing to feel

[Anonymous No.17952550]

>>17951897
Testicular cancer, I’m in my 20s. Not unheard of to get it at that young but I am on the younger side of the age range.

[Anonymous No.17952599]

>>17947784
Phaedo is amazing too.

[Anonymous No.17952722]

>>17947764
Lonesome Dove. It's about 2 old cowboys who decide to go on one last adventure (loosely based on Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving). It's no megamind artistic genius prose, but it's one of the best stories ever written.

[Anonymous No.17952747]

>>17948056
You didn't read it, you naughty naughty boy

[Anonymous No.17952753]

>>17952747
/lit/ in a nutshell

[Anonymous No.17952913]

>>17947771
Fuck off with your Judaism

[Anonymous No.17953873]

>>17947764

Lord of the rings
Foundation (asimov)
Eifelheim
Sinuhe the egiptian

This are books to cheer you up, not deep philosophy.

[Anonymous No.17953966]

>The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha
>Iliad
>Odyssey

[Anonymous No.17953996]

>>17947764
Either you're lying to this board or they're lying to you. Either way you're a fucking faggot.

[Anonymous No.17954130]

>>17947771
>>17947764

This is actually a good recommendation and anyone saying otherwise hasn’t read it but wants a strawman argument that’ll justify their anti Semitic bullshit that is really the result of blaming other people for their own problems.

OP, I’m genuinely sorry about the bad news, you being stoic and brave about it is fantastic to see, and I wish you nothing but the best in your days to come.

[Anonymous No.17954145]

>>17947764
Brothers Karamazov is a perfect blend of philosophy, religion and a beautifully written story that’ll leave you understanding more about yourself and the world afterwards.

[Anonymous No.17954165]

if you read the Gita there is a good chance you will be enlightened and realize that you are not dying

[Anonymous No.17954275]

>>17947764
the quran

[Anonymous No.17954296]

On Death, Without Exaggeration

It can't take a joke,
find a star, make a bridge.
It knows nothing about weaving, mining, farming,
building ships, or baking cakes.
In our planning for tomorrow,
it has the final word,
which is always beside the point.

It can't even get the things done
that are part of its trade:
dig a grave,
make a coffin,
clean up after itself.

Preoccupied with killing,
it does the job awkwardly,
without system or skill.
As though each of us were its first kill.

Oh, it has its triumphs,
but look at its countless defeats,
missed blows,
and repeat attempts!

Sometimes it isn't strong enough
to swat a fly from the air.
Many are the caterpillars
that have outcrawled it.

All those bulbs, pods,
tentacles, fins, tracheae,
nuptial plumage, and winter fur
show that it has fallen behind
with its halfhearted work.

Ill will won't help
and even our lending a hand with wars and coups d'etat
is so far not enough.

Hearts beat inside eggs.
Babies' skeletons grow.
Seeds, hard at work, sprout their first tiny pair of leaves
and sometimes even tall trees fall away.

Whoever claims that it's omnipotent
is himself living proof
that it's not.

There's no life
that couldn't be immortal
if only for a moment.

Death
always arrives by that very moment too late.

In vain it tugs at the knob
of the invisible door.
As far as you've come
can't be undone.

Wislawa Szymborska

[Anonymous No.17954369]

>>17947764

[Rocket-Anon No.17954741]

>>17947764
The diamond sutra unironically

[Anonymous No.17955790]

>>17947764

Are you that anon that draws one circle every day?

[Anonymous No.17955839]

I’m a horrible mean spirited person and I am certainly deserve death over OP for all the misery I’ve caused others.

[Anonymous No.17955842]

>>17947764
Quit bragging you fucking asshole

[Anonymous No.17955884]

Theban trilogy by Sophocles.

Especially Oedipus at Colonial is a beautiful confronting with death. As well as Dante (who you have to read the New Testament before).

[Anonymous No.17956803]

>>17947764
I love you anon
Be strong

[Anonymous No.17956815]

>>17947764
The Unique and Its Property by Max Stirner

[Anonymous No.17956871]

>>17947764
My diary

[Anonymous No.17957305]

>>17947764
The epic of Gilgamesh, the part about the inevitability of death is beautiful

[Anonymous No.17957743]

>>17948395
Seconded on Ikuru.

[Anonymous No.17957916]

>>17949832
Cringe

[Anonymous No.17958393]

>>17957305
This, this so much. It’s also a really short epic so it shouldn’t be that much of an investment

[Anonymous No.17958401]

>>17955839
Why?

[Anonymous No.17958454]

>>17948859
The Tudors were the pinnacle of English Christian philosophy.

[Anonymous No.17958513]

>>17947764
>That picture.

It's been more than 10 years and I still feel sad.

[Anonymous No.17958600]

>>17947764
It's legal. I checked. CIA does it all the time.

[Anonymous No.17959062]

>>17948056
kek

[Anonymous No.17959099]

The Death of Ivan Ilych

[Anonymous No.17959108]

>>17958454
Bohme wasn't a tudor though.

[Anonymous No.17959200]

I was in hospital for several weeks last year and then sick in bed for a couple months more with blood cancer.
The days passed in an unbroken stream and most of the time I was too sick to do anything, but I distinctly remember reading Ryunosuke Akutagawa's short stories for some reason.